40's? From 40 to 49, what's changed?

[thinkingisharderthandoing]

So from approaching the 40's to approaching the 50's. How's that decade been?
I'm 45 this year......still feeling like I have a youngish streak, but realising I'm not so youngish as I may want to be.
It's a weird age.
How have you felt and dealt with it?

Nearly 46 here and am surprised by that!!
I've found that I care so much less about what people think which is surprising to me as I've always been a people pleaser.
I find that I can't work as much because my body gets too sore ( aged care!) and have loads more aches and pains. My eyesight has significantly deteriorated in the last year and need new glasses but just putting it off. I still have primary aged kids and I'm realizing how incredibly important it is that I'm there for them and that they genuinely need me. ( you'd think I'd know this but your head can play tricks on you)
I have next to no sex drive which must be incredibly frustrating for my husband and really have to try but it's no reflection on the love I have for him, I just don't want to do it.
I've just starting studying again for my nursing degree and I'm seriously wondering how I'm going to do it but I just need to get on with it otherwise I'll have to do the crappy work forever.
I do think that getting older is good though because you are so much more comfortable in your own skin and you finally accept yourself for who you are.
Women do go through it though, puberty, periods, childbirth then menopause, we just have to find our way through it all.

Suddenly feeling old at 47 and my right side of my face has aged more than my left. My eyelid has drooped and more lines around my mouth Must be because I always sleep on my right and face gets scrunched! Piling on the moisturiser all through the day.

Actually questioning life a lot more these days and being more selective with who I want to spend my time with.

Single but no sex drive or desire at all. I'm hoping that will change if I ever meet someone

Single but no sex drive or desire at all.

Mine's through the roof at the moment - which is a bit inconvenient when you're single, 46 and about 4.5st overweight.

Mine's through the roof at the moment - which is a bit inconvenient when you're single, 46 and about 4.5st overweight.

Mine went through the roof mid forties. DH had the snip years ago so no birth control and could feel my hormones telling me around ovulation to have sex! DH couldn't keep up with me, I was thinking about it for about all the time for about 2 weeks in the middle of my cycle. Now 48 it's stopped happening. Still have a good sex life but I miss that strong urge.

my right side of my face has aged more than my left. My eyelid has drooped and more lines around my mouth Must be because I always sleep on my right and face gets scrunched!

I've developed 2 small lines below my left cheek/corner of mouth. I sleep on my left. No line son other side. I hate them !!!! Also getting spots , I never even got spots as a teen fgs!

Hrt was a game changer. I’m slowly losing the weight I put on in peri menopause and I’m doing yoga v badly as I was losing all my flexibility.

I like being 50 though,

I won't be taking HRT as Mum had breast cancer so I'll have to muddle through. Thinking positive though.

I have to remember to cross my legs when I cough or sneeze or I wee a bit. The pillow creases take ages to drop out of my face in the morning. Dodgy knee and dodgy hip are hindering me when I try to play netball. Used to be really good now I'm 2 secs behind where I need to be all the time. I dont warm up as i should as I'm too busy wrapping tape round all different bits of me to hold myself together through the game. I have very little tolerance these days and think most people are idiots. It must be my hormones as my periods are all over the place. It takes my eyes ages to refocus on the telly if I've been looking at my phone. Like really ages.
I have no idea what clothes to wear. I can't seem to find the right balance between not being frumpy and not being mutton.

On the upside I couldn't give a stuff about most things any more. Ive got everything i need that matters in life. Lovely kids that i look at every day and nearly burst with pride that they're mine. Dad in reasonable health, good DP, enough good friends and touch wood good health. Enough money not to worry. I dont care what anyone thinks of me and ive got more confidence than ive ever had.
I'm 48 and in a pretty good place I reckon.

For those suffering with sleep creases and wrinkles I can recommend swapping to a slightly firmer pillow and a silk pillowcase. I was very skeptical but it really works x

I turned 44 in January, the positive are feeling that I have now got my personal style right, for this means dying my hair pink. I am fairly confident about what suits me even though it is the only thing. I also like to think that I have become kinder, trying to understand why people behave as they do etc. Also like my work on the whole, even though I am self-employed and it isn't that lucrative, working for myself does suit me in lots of ways. I am definitely more focused on trying to bank up good times and good moments (probably because they are quite fleeting) than I used to be.

Thats it for positives, my skin has got spottier, I have had chin hairs since I was 37, so very tired a lot of the time, although still get disturbed sleep cause of my older boy, but not every night. Eyesight loads worse, now have reading glasses, prescription has just changed after 2 years and it changed two years before that. Get back ache, have really aged around the eyes (need to start a proper skin care routine). The worse thing though is the whole sandwich generation aspect, lost my Mum when I was 27 and we lost my MIL nearly 4 years ago, but my Dad and his partner are v problematic. They are at a distance, she had dementia, he has just cheated death for the 4th time. Also oldest DS who is 11 has some problems, anxiety and school refusal. TBH sometimes find myself wishing this part of my life away cause it is so tiring and stressful, but then you are nearer to the end

I'm 43 beginning of March with a just turned 3yo ...I feel ready for the nursing home every day lol ...bit of peace and quiet lol x

@octopus37 if you aren’t already please look up the Facebook groups for school refusal, attendance issues caused by anxiety and/or SEN. If you need the links please feel free to pm me xxx